


A Thousand Years

by shahondin



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: ? - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst with a Happy Ending, College Student Hongjoong, Eventual Smut, I'll add more tags as the story proceeds, M/M, Not Beta Read, Prince Seonghwa, Reincarnation, Strangers to Lovers, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2020-10-24 21:07:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20712536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shahondin/pseuds/shahondin
Summary: I have loved you for a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand more.♔Hongjoong doesn’t know why or how it happened but he is certain that this is not a dream. He has the chance to warn the prince and save his life, he could change history.Torn between his growing love for prince Seonghwa and the unknown consequences of messing with the past, Hongjoong has to make a life-changing decision.





	1. Morning (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my next project! ´･ᴗ･`
> 
> I recommend listening to [A Thousand Years by Christina Perri](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrM-Bkm4c_I). After I outlined the plot for this fanfic I noticed this song fits very well! 
> 
> Also... English is not my first language and I don't have a beta reader so I apologize for any mistakes in advance.

Sunlight filters through the large windows, illuminating the room in warm, orange light. The windows are open and a gentle breeze brushes Hongjoong’s red hair. He looks outside, chin resting on the palm of his left hand, elbow propped on his unopened notebook. Around him other students talk quietly with each other or sit in silence just like him. In the corner of his eye Hongjoong even sees a guy sleeping with his head laying on the tabletop.

He doesn’t blame him. It’s already past 6 p.m. and this is the last class of the day. Whoever thought scheduling any lecture after 2 p.m. was a good idea was horribly wrong. At least the professor is nice and doesn’t talk in a monotonous way like most of the others which makes the one and a half hour Hongjoong has to endure every Friday evening easier. 

Closing his eyes, he tries to channel the motivation that’s still left after a packed day of Latin and Greek classes. He hopes it’s enough to stay awake.

The lecturer enters the room exactly one minute before the class is supposed to start, like always, and nods in greeting with a friendly smile. How that old man is able to be smiling all the time is beyond Hongjoong. He sighs, opening his notebook and searching for a pencil in his backpack, when the lecturer explains today’s topic. _'Unsolved murders in 500 to 1500 AD'_ is written on the board in barely recognisable handwriting. 

Murders? Hongjoong frowns as the man in front of the class adds random year dates all over the board and wipes his hands clean from chalk on his pants afterwards. Wasn’t this class about architectural styles in the beginning of the last millennial? Hongjoong isn’t able to finish his thought though, when the girl sitting next to him voices his question out loud.

“Well, you see,” The old man clears his throat as he walks to the corner of the room to pull out a rollable cabinet, “I thought we could do something different for a change. So we’re watching a movie.” He opens the cabinet and reveals an old television inside. 

“I bet he can’t stand talking about bakestones and lancet windows himself anymore.” The girl, Soyeon, mutters with a raised eyebrow. Hongjoong chuckles lightly and nods in agreement. 

The back rows have to pull their chairs further to the front to see something on the rather small television screen. After they pushed the tables to the side and everyone sat down, notebooks on their laps and pens in one hand, the lecturer starts the DVD and takes a seat behind the crowd of students.

“Please note down which architectural characteristics can be seen throughout the movie.” The old man’s voice sounds from the back. Hongjoong rolls his eyes and asks himself for the nth time since he started university what the purpose of such a pointless task is. He really thought after he graduated from school he would only learn what he really needs but he was so, so wrong. 

The narrator goes on about conspiracy theories for about 50 minutes, explaining the circumstances of several sudden deaths in various countries. A quick glance to Soyeon reveals she’s as bored as Hongjoong, eyes closing every other second and jolting awake immediately after. 

“If I have to listen to one more description of someone being thrown out of a window, I’ll jump voluntarily.” Hongjoong leans over and whispers to her. She grimaces and mouths ‘same’. And really, what’s the point in watching this movie when they can’t even see much of the buildings the murders took place. Discreetly looking over his shoulder, Hongjoong notices the lecturer sleeps and, wow, that dumb task really was only an excuse to watch a unrelated movie in the middle of the semester. 

The redhead groans and shuts his notebook. He could’ve been so productive, writing an assignment for his history of early Greek class or learn vocabulary for the next test, but no, he’s stuck here. 

_"The most tragic incident might be the brutal murder of the crown prince of Adeya 1019.”_ The narrator starts to explain yet another death and Hongjoong is about to pull out his phone to pass time when a picture of said crown prince is shown. He freezes, phone already in his right hand, eyes glued to the screen. It’s only a painting but those eyes, Hongjoong feels like they’re boring right into him.

_”He was found dead on the day of his coronation with no indication of the murderer that stabbed him._ As soon as the picture appeared it’s gone, the scene changing onces again to another crime scene 80 years later. 

Hongjoong shakes his head, trying to free his mind from the piercing gaze of the prince. 

♔

The annoying blaring of his alarm pulls Hongjoong immediately from his well-deserved sleep. Groaning, he feels for his phone to shut off the noise. He stares at the ceiling, his sleep-addled brain still slow and eyes barely open. Right, it’s Saturday. He rubs his tired eyes, takes a deep breath and finally rolls out off bed. It may be a weekend but that doesn’t mean he can slack off so he quickly showers and gets ready for a day studying at the library.

There are only a few other students mingling between the endless rows of books. Hongjoong sinks down in his usual seat at a small table by the windows and pulls out his scheduler. There’s another test in a few days and he still has to do some research for his Latin paper but somehow he can’t bring himself to open his laptop and actually get some work done. He looks out of the window, the morning sun shines dimly through thick clouds, birds flying across campus, chirping happily and loud enough to be heard inside the library. 

Deep brown eyes stare right at him. Endless orbs, full of life. 

Hongjoong blinks and shakes his head confusedly. Does he start to hallucinate? He scolds himself before he finally starts his laptop with a quiet scoff and puts on his round glasses.

His concentration lasts only for an hour until the screen starts to blur in front of his eyes and his mind drifts off ever so often. Sighing, the redhead leans back in his seat. After a few minutes the screen blackens, his laptop automatically going on standby. He watches his reflection in the surface and takes in the frown adorning his face. Stupid paper. With a huff, he decides it’s time for a small break, so he presses enter to bring his laptop back to life and opens Youtube. He fetches his earphone out of his messenger back and connects them to the device. Opening his favorite documentary channel, he browses for a video to watch, only to halt the cursor above a recommendation on the right site of the page. _Traditional cuisine in Adeya_.

Adeya? Gnawing on his bottom lip, Hongjoong pulls his bag on his lap and rummages inside. He pulls a crumpled piece of paper out and hastily straightens it on the tabletop. Usually, he’s more careful with his notes but he didn’t think he would ever look at the stuff he wrote down yesterday evening ever again. There, somewhere in the middle of the page, the name is written, directly followed by the words _’crown prince’s death -> motifs??’_.

Suddenly fueled by motivation, Hongjoong opens a new tab and types in ‘Adeya’, ‘prince’ and ‘murder’. He presses enter and in a matter of milliseconds the screen is filled with various links. Scanning different articles about the case, the frown on Hongjoong’s face deepens. They all say the same. Tragic death. Unknown murderer. No obvious motifs. 

Frustrated, he closes his laptop and stands up to walk straight to the aisle with books about the history of different countries. It doesn’t take long to find same books about Adeya, so he’s back at his table only a few minutes later. 

One book after the other is pushed back with a frustrated huff. 

Nothing.

It’s already past lunchtime and he found _nothing._ Not even a hint about what could have happened. All he’s got is a date and a town.

♔

He tries to forget about it, really he does try, but those brown eyes hunt him. More often than not, Hongjoong awakes when the sky changes color in the early morning hours, his mind hazy, his heart beating fast. He can’t remember what he dreamt of those nights but every time he jolts to awareness there’s an empty feeling inside his chest and the ghost of a voice calling for him in his ears.

Weeks pass and Hongjoong is swamped with more and more coursework as the semester slowly draws to an end. Busy with tests and papers, the redhead literally lives in the library and class rooms, running on caffeine and snack bars solely. 

It’s not until he hands in his last essay that he has a chance to breathe freely for the first time in what feels like years. He slumps down on his bed in the dorm in the middle of the day, his eyes feeling heavy and droopy. Sleep takes him easily as he closes his eyes eventually, too tired to fight to stay awake. It’s not like he has anywhere to be until 6 p.m. for his last class of the semester.

♔

A silhouette in the moonlight.

A whisper.

_One step closer._

♔

“Barely on time.” Soyeon checks the clock on her phone and raises an eyebrow at Hongjoong who sits down next to her, hair a mess and breathing hard because he just ran all the way across campus from his dorm to the classroom. When the redhead doesn’t answer, she takes a closer look at him and notices the pained expression on his face. “Hey, are you alright?”

Hongjoong waves her off but winces when the headache acts up again, a piercing pain shooting right from the back of his head to his temple. Ever since he woke up about 15 minutes ago, his head felt like it’s split open. Soyeon opens her mouth, probably to voice her concern, when the lecturer enters the room and starts rambling immediately. Hongjoong shoots her a small, reassuring smile she obviously doesn’t buy. 

90 minutes feel even longer than usually. Although the pain lessened after half an hour, time stretches impossibly long until the old man dismisses the crowd of tired students, wishing them a nice break. As soon as the lesson is over, he heads over to the dorms again, feeling tired already even though he slept some extra hours today. 

He crawls under his blanket soon after, pulling it up to his chin and burying his nose in the pillow. His limbs feel heavy as he drifts between waking state and sleep. He blinks slowly, his vision unfocussed, watching his curtains sway in the light wind blowing through his opened window. 

“Hongjoong?” The voice is faint, comes from far away. He tries to keep his eyes open but it’s so, so hard. A ringing sounds from somewhere. Hongjoong clenches his eyes shut as the headache comes back in full swing, knocking the breath out of his lunges. 

He opens them again, tears blurring his vision even more. However, he realises he’s not in his bed anymore within a second. He doesn’t know where he is exactly, it’s too dark to see anything. Sitting up, his hands thread through the grass under him. The moon shines brightly, illuminating the whole place in a gentle, shimmering light.

A strangely familiar silhouette stands several meters away.

Hongjoong opens his mouth to call out for the person but there’s no sound leaving his lips. Frowning, he touches his throat but it doesn’t feel off. He stands up, brushing the dirt from his pants, and takes a few steps. He moves forward, feels the ground dipping slightly under his bare feet. The silhouette, however, is still as far away as it was before. He increases his speed, eyes trained on the figure in the distance. He passes a tree, a bench, flowers over flowers on both of his sides, but the distance wouldn’t cease. 

A shadow crawls on the ground right beside Hongjoong, keeping up with his speed as he runs. It overtakes him easily, sneaking up to the figure with ease. It expands, looming dangerously over the silhouette from behind. 

Moonlight catches the prince’s face as he turns around, horrified. 

The shadow crashes down on him and leaves nothing but scream echoing. 

Hongjoong sits up with a start, cold sweat covering every centimeter of his body. It was a dream. Everything was just a dream. His heart hammers in his chest.

A dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated and never fail to make my day better ~
> 
> Let's talk about Ateez on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/neomuyoo)!


	2. Morning (2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up: I totally made up Adeya and everything about it. The people there speak Latin (even today) and there live lots of different enthnicities together. The capital itself looks like a historic European one. I'll provide some visuals later when I make a moodboard~

The dream repeats itself every single night. Crocuses and carnations surrounding him. The silhouette. The shadow. The wide eyes. The scream.

Hongjoong can’t remember a night he slept through, a night this dream didn’t haunt him. He knows what he’s dreaming of and it’s silly. Seriously, why his mind is so occupied with the death of a stranger a thousand years ago is beyond him, but he realises after another morning he jolts awake after witnessing the shadow consuming the prince that he has to do something.

Call it a kneejerk reaction, but Hongjoong buys a flight ticket to Eoste, capital of Adeya, and a cheap room in a hostel.

♔

It’s already afternoon when Hongjoong leaves the hostel, backpack strapped over his shoulders and sunglasses shielding his eyes from the sun. He scans the city map in his hands one more time before he folds it again. A quick glance at his watch tells him he has to hurry if he wants to it make it to the last tour through the castle. He speed-walks across the busy streets of Eoste, weaving through crowds, until he reaches the entrance of the castle and makes a beeline to the register right at the left side of the hall. 

The tour guide walks with the small group of people through several rooms and explains their former use and interesting facts about renovations and stuff but Hongjoong is only half listening. He stays at the back of the group and scans every room with observant eyes, hoping to find a trace of the prince and his family. Most rooms, however, reflect the later life in the castle. It’s informative, sure, but it’s not what the redhead was searching for. Sighing, he accepts the fact that this is an impasse. 

When they reach the last room open for public, he only looks around half-heartedly, glancing from the large windows to the secretaire decorated with palatial vases. His gaze wanders further to a round mirror and then to the far left. A gasp leaves Hongjoong’s lips, eyes wide and mouth open. It’s the prince. Well, not the person but a portrait he hasn’t seen before. All those books only had the same picture if they had any at all. But this one is different, even more mesmerizing. Hongjoong needs a moment to tear his eyes away from those deep brown orbs looking directly at him. The prince’s hair is pitch black, a few strands falling on his forehead while the rest is carefully swept away. His clothing is simple but elegant nonetheless, a beautiful mix of burgundy with silver accents.

“Ah it seems like one of you already found the painting of the crown prince.” The tour guide announces to the whole group as she suddenly appears next to Hongjoong, startling him out of his trance-like state. He doesn’t take his eyes off the portrait while she shortly states a few facts. “This wonderful piece of art was painted by a talented artist named Eden around 1017. It shows the crown prince of the Park family at that time. Sadly, he couldn’t ascend the throne as he was murdered on the day of his coronation. It was a great loss for the whole country. The prince is said to have been capable but kind.” She turns around after finishing her short monologue, obviously about to end the tour when Hongjoong speaks up for the first time.

“What was his name?” He finally looks away from those brown eyes staring right in his soul and faces the tour guide. She frowns slightly in thought and makes a little ‘ah’ sound before walking over to the painting. 

“Park Seonghwa, prince of Adeya, 1017.” She reads out loud the small inscription right under the the artist’s signature Hongjoong didn’t even notice.

Park Seonghwa. He repeats the name in his head several times, his fingers tingling in excitement.

_One step closer._

♔

He screams the name that occupied his mind ever since he first heard it. It echoes, volume decreasing until it’s only the ghost of a whisper.

He screams again, lungs threatening to burst, throat raw.

It’s useless. The silhouette doesn’t turn around or shows any indication of noticing Hongjoong who runs desperately. His feet, however, don’t take him any step forward. Filled with the urge, the _need,_ to reach the prince before the shadows do, Hongjoong screams again and again, over and over. 

In the end, he has to watch with tears brimming in his eyes as Seonghwa is eaten alive by darkness.

♔

Jolting to awareness, Hongjoong groans and sits up in bed. His head pounds uncomfortably, the image of the prince’s frightened eyes still vivid in his mind. He rubs his face and takes a few deep breaths to calm down after this nightmare. It was unsettling, like it usually is, but this time he was able to speak, to call out for the unassuming figure in the moonlight. Maybe this is a sign that he gets closer to the truth? Yes, it must be. 

Filled with a new spurt of determination, Hongjoong throws the thin blanket to foot of the bed and gets up, stretching his limbs. A quick glance out of the window promises a sunny day so he wastes no time to get ready and out of the hostel. 

Adeya is a beautiful country from what he has seen so far on his way to the capital. And Eoste, the heart of Adeya, bursts with life and colors. The people are friendly, smiling even at strangers in greeting, vendors at the market hand out samples to try for free and Hongjoong even gets a flower from an old woman with laughter lines all over her face. She offers the carnation with twinkle in her eyes and Hongjoong takes it, thanking her with a smile on his own. 

“Divine love.” She says, clutching the redhead’s hands in hers as he gently holds the flower. Hongjoong is confused but thanks her again before she leaves, disappearing behind a corner. Divine love? Why he should be loved by a god or goddess is beyond him. He looks up to the bright sun shining high in the sky and then down to the red flower. He carefully tucks it in the side pocket of his backpack, makes sure it can’t be squished or fall out and resumes his way to the historic district.

The workers at the city archive offer to show Hongjoong some old maps around 1000 A.D. which he gladly accepts. He gets a lot of information about the general outline of the city and the development of trade routes and important spots over the years, things he already read about but some new facts he hasn’t known before. The few maps about the centre including the castle and near surroundings, pique more curiosity. Hongjoong knows the present outline of those places, the castle, the garden and the burial side nearby. A thousand years ago, however, the burial side didn’t exist. Instead, there was a rather large garden indicated by the word _hortus_ written in the middle. Hongjoong spends about two hours in the archive, talking to a few workers and collecting as much information as he can. By the time he leaves the building, his stomach grumbles and his throat is as dry as a bone. 

After a quick lunch, he continues his search in the local library. He’s thankful he picked Latin in university and put in great effort to learn the language, otherwise he would’ve been doomed. Most people in Eoste speak at least one more language beside their mother tongue but these books in front of Hongjoong are all written in Latin only. Armed with a translation app on his phone to look up a few unknown words, the redhead skims through one thick book after the other. He notes down a few more facts, names and places that were important at that time, as well as Adeya’s trading partners, allies and potential enemies although the latter were few and peace obtained with contracts. There hasn’t been a war for decades and there won’t be one for another 160 years after the crown prince’s death. Hongjoong doesn’t get it. Why did Seonghwa have to die? None of the texts indicates that he was openly hated, not even autobiographies he found of several people close to the royal family. 

Particularly interesting is the self-penned book by a childhood friend of the prince who wrote down multiple pages about the final years of Seonghwa’s life. The neatly written texts give more insight on the prince’s personality and describes the daily life at the castle better than any book by an historian. 

Hongjoong doesn’t notice the time pass, too absorbed in all these books. Only when he leaves the library does he see that the sun already sets. His muscles ache due to the hunched over position he was in several hours and his eyes burn even though he had his glasses on. He should take a break from reading tomorrow, Hongjoong decides as he squints at the time on his cellphone. 

♔

He hears singing, a calming, deep voice that soothes his ears. This time, Hongjoong doesn’t run. He knows it’s useless. Instead, he listens to Seonghwa sing as the prince stands far away, moonlight making his hair and skin shimmer. When yesterday was the first time Hongjoong could speak in his dream, today is the first time he hears Seonghwa. His voice stirs something in him and calms him at the same time. His heart aches, his mind screaming at him to get up from his sitting position on the ground and run to the person admiring the moon. But he feels content listening to a song its words he can’t deciber. 

When the shadows arrive eventually and creep up on the prince, he turns around, locking eyes with Hongjoong. He doesn’t look afraid but sad as he continues singing even when the dark already grabs his legs and arms.

_”I have died everyday, waiting for you.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... I love dropping hints all over the place. Let me know if you already catched any!


	3. Morning (3)

Hongjoong is covered in goosebumps as he stares at the dark ceiling of his hostel room. 

“What was that?” He asks himself, his voice small and scratchy. He sits up, unable to even think about falling asleep and looks out of the window. 

The sun rises slowly, a few sunrays already breaking through the darkness. The redhead stays a bit longer in front of the window and watches the sun climb its way up in the sky. His mind is empty, everything is quiet. That is until something drops in the room above him and there are loud footsteps in the hallway. The new day has begun. 

After he ate breakfast at a small restaurant near the market, Hongjoong wanders through the streets of Eoste. He admires the handmade trinkets people sell in small stores and eventually buys a bracelet for Soyeon as a apology for being so distant those last weeks. He knows she doesn’t care and his withdrawn behaviour won’t affect their friendship but small gifts are always nice to receive. When he opens his backpack to put the bracelet away, his eyes spot the carnation still blooming in the side pocket. Its head didn’t drop nor does it show any sign of wilting. Hongjoong wonders what’s up with that flower as he gently strokes it with his forefinger. The flower seems to be a fighter, the redhead smirks as he buckles his backpack again and enters the busy streets once more. 

The graveyard is easy to find, nearby the castle and surrounded by a large brick wall. The iron gate is open so Hongjoong slips in unceremoniously. All of a sudden, as soon as he passes the gate, his ears start to ring. The sound is still faint but with every step he takes it increases. Frowning at the noise, Hongjoong tries to shake it off, tries to concentrate on the outline of the graveyard shown on a board next to the entrance but it’s hard when the buzzing is a constant noise. The royal burial side is easy to spot, fortunately. The way there, on the other hand, is painful. The ringing gets louder and louder, it’s barely bearable by the time Hongjoong stands in front of the secluded crypt. At a especially shrill sound piercing his head, he falls to his knees and presses both hands on his ears in a desperate attempt to block out the noise. He squeezes his eyes shut, a single tear running down his cheek as the ringing doesn’t stop torturing him. Then, abruptly, everything’s quiet. The only sound Hongjoong hears is his hammering heart and his ragged breath. Carefully lifting his hands from his ears, Hongjoong still doesn’t open his eyes. The wind rustles in the treetops, there are birds singing somewhere in the distance. The redhead breathes deeply and is about to stand up again when a song reaches his ears. It sounds familiar, welcome even. He opens his eyes and squints immediately at the sunlight blinding him momentarily. The melancholic voice continuous singing but Hongjoong can’t see any person nearby. The song fades out eventually and then it hits him why it seemed so familiar. It’s Seonghwa’s voice. Hongjoong’s blood runs cold, he looks around one more time. He’s going crazy. This is the only explanation why he hears things that aren’t here. Clenching his fists, Hongjoong stands up and turns on his heels, leaving the crypt behind without another glance. 

Exhaustion eats away on his bones as the redhead drags himself back to the hostel. He’s tired, he’s fed up with this whole thing and he wants home, back to the comfort of his own bed. Fate seems to like messing with him some more though. There’s an envelope on his bed when he enters his hostel room. He picks it up tentatively after he dropped his bag next to the window. It’s sealed with red wax that Hongjoong carefully removes. His hands shake as he extracts a single piece of paper.

_Aurora_, the word is written in neat, curvy letters in the middle of the paper. Nothing more. 

Hongjoong puts it down again, puzzled and even more confused. He thinks it over again and again. Aurora. Dawn. 

Why? Why does someone break into his room only to leave this behind? 

He’s frustrated and so, so tired. Shoving everything off his bed without any care, Hongjoong crawls under the covers and closes his eyes.

He doesn’t dream for the first time in so long.

♔

“Hongjoong, wake up.” 

He stirs, mumbling incoherent words.

“It’s time.” 

Groaning, he turns around in his bed, facing the wall.

“Wake up.”

There’s a cold touch brushing his arm, causing Hongjoong to spring up abruptly. It’s dark but he can clearly see that his room is empty. The cold patch on his skin warms again, it feels like a gently hand on his arm pulls him out of bed. 

The voice… It wasn’t Seonghwa. Hongjoong would have noticed as he already knows the low and smooth murmur of the prince. Great, now he hears more voices. He’s definitely going crazy. 

He sleepily stretches but halts when his eyes fall on the piece of paper lying on the ground. Aurora, right. After about a minute of considering, Hongjoong groans and gets up. May as well try to find out what’s up with this letter. 

The streets are empty, streetlights illuminating the sidewalks and roads. Hongjoong wanders without any destination, watching the stars shining in the cloud-free night sky. Before he knows it, the redhead stands in front of the closed graveyard gate. 

“Nice idea, brain.” He scolds himself and shudders as he peeks inside the pitch black graveyard. He’s about to leave again but halts, frowning deeply. “Ah, whatever.” He huffs and tries to open the gate. Unfortunately, it’s locked but that doesn’t stop him. In the blink of an eye, he climbs up the gate and more or less gracefully jumps down on the other side. His high-school PE teacher would be proud. 

His ears ring again but this time, it’s not hurtful. It’s encouraging? Hongjoong doesn’t even question anything anymore and walks all the way to the crypt, his eyes trained on the path so he doesn’t accidentally look at a tombstone. Because he’s on a graveyard. In the middle of the night. Ugh. 

When he reaches the crypt, the sun rises. He can’t really see it at first because the crypt and trees block the view but he can tell by the brightening sky. The black slowly changes to blue and when the sun finally peeks from behind the crypt, the sight takes Hongjoong’s breath away. It’s beautiful. The sky is colored in oranges and pinks, sunbeams dance between the leaves. 

The ringing increases unpredictably, forcing Hongjoong to press his hands on his ears again. The sound increases with every second, getting louder than the last day. It’s too much, too sudden and Hongjoong blacks out, falling to the ground with a thumb while the sun warms his face gently.

It feels like a dream but he can’t open his eyes. His body is floating in the darkness, weightless and strangely detached from his mind. 

A voice hums a soothing melody. Unknown but familiar at the same time. 

“Wake up, Hongjoong.” It’s a female voice. He recognizes it, she told him to wake up before too.

“Open your eyes.” She encourages again and suddenly everything feels so easy so he does as she told.

Hongjoong blinks awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this au finally came to an end! 
> 
> What do you think happened to Hongjoong and why? Let me know your speculations!


	4. Midday (1)

His eyes sting unpleasantly, head throbbing in slight pain. Hongjoong shields his eyes with an arm from the offending sun shining on his face and groans. He lays motionless for a moment, thinking hard about what just happened. There’s definitely grass underneath him so the redhead guesses he lays on patch of green in the graveyard like a creep because he somehow thought it was a good idea to break in there last night. Regretting every decision that led to his body feeling like a heavy lumb while his head is on the verge of splitting, Hongjoong groans again and whines afterwards for good measure. He thinks it’s justified to feel sorry for himself. A little bit at least.

“Amicus?” There’s someone standing next to Hongjoong, he feels the other’s presence. Great, now somebody witnessed him lying around like a fool. Reluctantly, the redhead lowers his arm and blinks up to the person, taking in the young man’s confused but friendly expression.

Hongjoong laughs awkwardly and makes to stand up, only to wince when his head starts to spin. 

“Cautio!” The other exclaims worriedly and crouches down to steady Hongjoong with a hand around his upper arm. Hongjoong now gets a better look at the other’s face, the strange mark next to his left eye, the mop of black hair and lastly the way outdated clothing. But who was he to judge other people’s fashion choices? He likes to experiment with his own clothes when he’s got the time for it.

“Thank you.” The redhead mutters and rubs his temple with his free hand. “I swear, I’m not some drunk person.” He tilts his head to look at the stranger with a crooked smile that freezes immediately when he sees the other’s wondering eyes and furrowed brows. Oh, right, the stranger spoke Latin. Hongjoong is a bit confused because the guy seems to be his age, maybe a bit younger, he should be able to understand him. He repeats his explanation in Latin and the other’s face clears instantly as he chuckles. 

“Don’t worry.” He says, again in Latin, and Hongjoong is now convinced he really didn’t understand him before. The stranger helps him up, still not letting go of his arm, and Hongjoong looks around for the first time since he woke up.

This is not the graveyard.

Instead of the crypt and rows of tombstones, Hongjoong is surrounded by flowers in various colors and sizes, artfully chopped bushes as well as paths made of pebble stone in between the flower beds. Where the heck is he?

“My name is Yeosang.” The stranger finally introduces himself with a another friendly smile and patiently waits for the redhead to focus back on him. Hongjoong was right, the other speaks Latin but it sounds old fashioned, now that he speaks more than one word. It reminds him of poems and old texts he had to read at university.

“Hongjoong.” He answers simply. “Where are we?” 

At this, Yeosang raises both eyebrows. “The big gardens?” The answer is more like a question, it sounds like Hongjoong should obviously know this place but the only garden he saw in Eoste was the at the castle. Which is not this. And he has no clue how he got here. 

“Ah, right.” He laughs, trying to play it cool. “I’m sorry, my head hurts a bit. It must have slipped my mind.”

Yeosang buys the excuse easy enough, the worried expression back on his face instead of confusion.

“I haven’t seen you around.” The other states and leads Hongjoong to one of the benches nearby to inspect his head, searching for visible wounds. 

“No, I’m from--” Hongjoong hesitates. This whole situation is extremely strange, so he obts to conceal the truth a little bit. “... a far away place.” 

Yeosang scoffs at the vague reply. “So I guess you don’t have a room?”

“Oh, I have one! At the cheap hostel a few side roads away from the castle.” Hongjoong explains and is about to stand up again when Yeosang’s hand on his shoulder stops him.

“What’s a hostel? I think you hit your head somewhere.” 

Now it’s Hongjoong’s turn to blink at the other in confusion. He’s sure he used the right word. Something’s off.

“Yeosang, what time is it?” He asks and expects the other to pull out his cellphone or check his watch. Instead, he looks up at the sky and hums.

“Early afternoon.” He points at the sun but Hongjoong doesn’t tear his eyes from him.

“And which date?” He probes further, a sick feeling spreading in his stomach.

“It’s the day after the celebrations for the goddess of dawn. Maybe you didn’t hit your head but drank too much. Or both.” Yeosang chuckles and Hongjoong is dumbfounded.

Goddess of the dawn. _Aurora._ Hongjoong read about those celebrations. People used to dance until the sun rose, singing and laughing together for hours and hours. 

These festivities were last held around 800 years ago before Adeya formed treaties with Greek and new celebrations arose from that, smaller festivities joined in a big one to indulge gods and goddesses.

“Yeosang…” Hongjoong’s voice wavers a bit but he tries his best to calm down while realization hits him like a bulldozer. “We’re in Eoste, right?” Yeosang nods, eyebrows drawn in concentration as he carefully watches the other.

“And the current king reigning is?” Yeosang must think he’s dumb, Hongjoong is sure of that. But he has to know, has to make sure.

“King Kyung of the Park family.” 

Hongjoong’s blood runs cold. Park Kyung. Seonghwa’s father.

This is a dream. This has to be a dream. A strange one, admittedly, but a dream nonetheless.

“Hey friend, are you sick?” Yeosang crouches down in front of a hunched over Hongjoong, running his hands over the redhead’s arms in comfort. When he doesn’t receive an answer, he helps Hongjoong up and supports him with an arm around his waist. “I think it’s best if you come home with me.” 

This is how Hongjoong finds himself in front of a stranger’s home, in a town that’s nothing like it was one day ago, among a crowd of busy people in clothing he only knows from museums. This is how he finds himself a thousand years in the past.

♔

Yeosang and Hongjoong sit at the only table in the small room, both nursing a cup of hot water with tea leaves inside. Hongjoong doesn’t know how much time passed but he can tell the sun is already setting, casting dark shadows everywhere.

“So prince Seonghwa is alive?” The redhead asks, his voice rough because he didn’t speak in hours.

Yeosang chokes on his tea, coughing violently. “Of course he is! Why would he be dead? He’s young and healthy. And soon he’s king.” A proud smile forms on his lips as he says the last sentence.

Hongjoong nods and takes a sip.

“How come you don’t know this?” Yeosang eyes him curiously and Hongjoong panics slightly. He masks his hesitation to answer with another sip.

_Come on, you read so much about this land and its people_, he scolds himself.

“I’m one of the wandering folk.” He murmurs eventually, placing his cup down on the tabletop.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Yeosang smiles gently and encourages him to talk more.

“Well, you see…” Another pause in which Hongjoong’s mind scrambles for a reasonable explanation. “I was separated from my people by accident, I lost my belongings and then I lost myself.” He scratches the back of his head. “I don’t know how I got into the garden and why I was sleeping there.” At least the last part is not a lie.

Yeosang hums, thankfully believing the story Hongjoong just told him. “Is that why your hair is red and your clothes so strange?” 

“Yes! Yes, that’s why!” He might seem a bit over-eager to confirm the other but Yeosang just nods. 

The conversation dies down afterwards as they finish their drinks. 

Hongjoong wonders for the umpteenth time why this dream seems so realistic. It’s astonishing with which ideas one’s subconsciousness can come up with.

“How about you stay here for the meantime?” Yeosang asks all of a sudden, effectively pulling Hongjoong out of his thoughts.

“I don’t want to intrude further.” Hongjoong answers even though he doesn’t want more than staying with the only face he kind of knows around here.

“Don’t worry about that. We have to ask my housemates first, though. They should be home in a bit.” Yeosang stands up to put their cups away and looks out of the window. He makes a small “ah” sound as he sees something outside. “In fact, they’re about to open the door.” 

As soon as these words leave his lips, the door springs open and two black haired men step in. Hongjoong guesses they’re Yeosang’s age but he can’t be too sure.

It takes a moment until they finally notice him sitting in the corner by himself. But when they do, both start asking questions at the same time.

“Calm down, you idiots.” Yeosang scolds them and gestures at the unoccupied stools at the table. About half an hour and uncountable stern looks from Yeosang, Hongjoong tells his story to San and Wooyoung and learns about them in return.

The trio is the same age and around one year younger than Hongjoong himself. Wooyoung, the youngest of them, works at the tavern nearby. It’s a family business and even when he couldn’t quite look past the counter, he helped his parents and older siblings everyday. Wooyoung grew up with San, the scrawny boy attached to his hips since both were able to walk. San is a delivery boy and runs errands for all sorts of people. “Even the royal family.” He nods proudly as he tells Hongjoong about the pastry he got for the queen earlier this day. 

Yeosang is the last to talk about his work, obviously hesitating and yielding to his slightly younger friends. Hongjoong feels the other’s eyes on him the whole time and it makes him squirm in his seat a bit. It’s like he studies him and his reactions to everything that’s said, gauging and judging. And he seems to deem Hongjoong trustworthy enough because he tells him about his work as a librarian and advisor at the castle.

The redhead gapes at him, causing the trio to laugh loudly.

“Yeosangie is best friends with the prince.” Wooyoung stage-whispers and Hongjoong’s mouth opens even wider. San almost drops off his stool from laughing so hard.

Yeosang rolls his eyes at his friend’s ridiculous behaviour. “I grew up at the castle because both of my parents worked there too. But they took me outside those walls when possible. That’s how I met those two.” He points at a still giggling San and a smirking Wooyoung. 

“What is he like?” Hongjoong blurts out, gaining everyone’s attention.

Yeosang leans his back against the wall and purses his lips in thought, right forefinger tapping against them. 

“Quit acting so mysterious.” Wooyoung huffs and swats his friend playfully.

“Yah!” Yeosang flails his arms and San is laughing once again. At least, he’s trying to suppress his giggles this time, his whole face scrunched and his body shaking slightly. Yeosang adjusts the collar of his shirt absentmindedly before he finally answers. “He has a heart of gold.”

“That’s it?” Wooyoung rolls his eyes and the bickering continuous while San leans on Hongjoong’s shoulder, laughing freely now and putting in his two cents to rail them up even further. 

Hongjoong, however, has a hard time smiling. He thinks back to his previous dreams, to Seonghwa’s face in the moonlight, to his soothing voice, to those eyes staring right into his soul. His heart aches painfully.

Fortunately, these three young men in front of him don’t know what’ll happen soon. And they never will because this is just a dream, Hongjoong tells himself over and over again.

A disturbingly realistic dream.

A dream he will wake up from in a bit.

He sighs and pulls the thin blanket Wooyoung gave him when he offered him his bed up to his chin, eyes closing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this really just a dream? What do you think?


	5. Midday (2)

He sits on the ground, blades of grass gently brushing his calves, and looks up to the stars in the cloudless sky. All too soon, those stars start to fade as the moon sinks farther and farther until only a last shimmer clings to the horizon. Behind him, the sun greets the new day, warming Hongjoong’s back. He lays back, head resting on his folded arms and eyes closed. There’s something magical about watching the sun rise but today, he is more than content to feel the cold fading and warmth tingling on his skin. 

That is until something blocks the light, a shadow falling on Hongjoong’s face. He frowns in annoyance and opens his eyes, squinting against the light. The person has their back turned to Hongjoong but he doesn’t have to see their face to know who it is. Seonghwa. 

_Another dream,_ Hongjoong sighs. He was never so close to the prince, he’s only one arm’s length away so Hongjoong stretches out his hand.

Seonghwa is so close but he still can’t reach him. His fingertips graze something utterly cold, something that reminds Hongjoong of the breath of death. He retracts his hand immediately and stares at Seonghwa’s back. 

The dream proceeds like it always does, only this time, Hongjoong sees everything close up. The breeze ruffling the prince’s hair while he absentmindedly plays with a flower in his hand. Hongjoong can’t make out what kind of flower it is because the creeping shadows gain his attention as soon as they arrive. In seconds they engulf the prince and Hongjoong who still lays motionless on the ground. 

“Don’t be afraid.” Seonghwa murmurs, tilting his head to look over his shoulder. Their eyes meet and the prince smiles slightly, the corners of his lips pulling up a little. 

Hongjoong’s vision turns black as the darkness crashes down on Seonghwa.

_One step closer._

♔

Hongjoong jerks awake, one hand clutching his rapidly beating heart and the other pressing on his mouth to suppress the scream threatening to spill from his lips. He takes a deep breath. And then another. He inhales and exhales, slowly counting from 10 backwards until he’s calm again.

A single glance at his surroundings, however, lets him panic again. He’s not at the graveyard. Nor is he in his hostel room. 

“Ah, you’re finally awake!” San’s head appears at the doorframe. “Come down, okay?” And he’s gone again. 

What the heck. Why is he still here? What kind of prolonged dream is this? Hongjoong pinches the skin on his upper arm and yelps instantly. That _hurt._

A shout from downstairs urges Hongjoong to leave the bed, still dressed in his clothes from the day before. In the kitchen, which appears to be the living room as well, the trio sits at the table, talking with each other. They turn to Hongjoong when he quietly enters and sits down next to Wooyoung on the only unoccupied stool. 

“So...” Yeosang rubs his hands, making eye contact with the redhead. “We talked a bit and made a few decisions.”

“You don’t have to agree, don’t feel forced to.” Wooyoung pipes up, shooting Hongjoong a reassuring smile.

“Right.” Yeosang nods and continuous. “You’re allowed to stay with us as long as you want but you have to work.”

Hongjoong blinks at the other, the information processing slowly. “You don’t kick me out?”

“Of course not.” San snorts and stands up. “We think it’s best if you work with us until you find a job yourself. This way we can show you around a bit.”

“That’s great. Awesome. Let’s do this.” The panic is still sitting in his stomach but he tries to conceal it as best as he can. Better not raise more suspicion.

“You should get dressed and then we both run some errands together.” San squeezes his shoulder in passing as he makes his way upstairs to look for clothes for the smaller. 

Working with San helps to keep his panic in check. He’s dressed like the people around him and wears a felt cap to hide his red hair. San seems to know everyone in town, little kids playing in the streets, all kinds of men and women and even the old folks. In return, everyone seems to know San as well and soon enough, Hongjoong’s mind swims with an immense amount of names and faces. 

They take a small break when the sun is at the highest. Hongjoong’s feet threaten to fall off at any point now, he can’t remember the last time he had to run around so much. 

“For one of the traveling folks you’re pretty out of shape.” San chuckles while he hands Hongjoong half of the break and some cheese. The redhead only shrugs and eats what’s offered, his stomach finally ceasing its angry rumbling.

“The next delivery is the last for today. It’s stuff for the castle.” The other says casually and smirks in amusement as Hongjoong chokes on his food and coughs violently. 

Following their lunch break, San leads them to the vibrant market at the centre. There are vendors shouting left and right, advertising their products to everyone in earshot. San navigates them smoothly to the very middle to a stall selling colorful fabrics.

“Hey Yunho.” San leans over one of the tables to get the attention of the salesman who turns around at the call of his name. 

“Sanie!” He exclaims with a big smile and hugs the other over the table. Hongjoong stands awkwardly next to San and waits while the other both discuss the request one of the court ladies made. 

“This should be everything.” Yunho places a neatly strung package in San’s awaiting arms. 

“Hongjoong pays!” He quips as he turns on his heels.

“I’m Hongjoong and I pay.” The redhead laughs nervously and hands over the money. 

Yunho takes it with a small thank-you and musters him curiously. 

“I should-- I should go.” Hongjoong stutters and points over his shoulder at the general direction San left previously.

“You should hurry, San is fast.” Yunho winks and waves while Hongjoong looks around and sees not even a glimpse of the other. Damnit.

♔

When Hongjoong first entered the castle, back in his time, he was fascinated by the different colors and luxuriant furniture. The castle he stands in right now though, is the real deal. Whereas everything seemed a bit toned down back in the future, the vibrant colors decorating the entrance hall now take Hongjoong’s breath away. He must look like a fool, standing there with his mouth agape and wide eyes but fortunately no one pays him any mind. San’s talking to one of the servants right now so Hongjoong has enough time to look around from his spot behind his friend. There are lots of people passing by, everyone busy with their own task, but they all seem normal, common in a sense. It’s easy to tell they’re not royal even though their clothing is better than San’s and Hongjoong’s.

Sadly, they have to leave before Hongjoong can spot even a hint of the prince. One of the knights escorts them back to the front gate while he talks to San, curiously gazing at Hongjoong a few times. Pulling his hat further down in an attempt to hide himself, Hongjoong looks to the other side while they walk. He can make out the beginning of the garden behind a low hedge but it’s impossible to see more than a few flowers. However, he hears something. Something so familiar, he unconsciously stops in his tracks. It’s not more than a faint melody that reaches his ears but the voice singing it causes Hongjoong’s heart to clench painfully. He heard this voice countless times already.

“What’s up with you?” The knight steps closer and nudges Hongjoong with a frown on his face.

“Jongho-yah, stop being so mean. It’s his first time here.” San shoves the knight away and pulls Hongjoong along with a hand around his wrist. They start to bicker - something about not talking so casual or so - but Hongjoong barely listens. Instead, he cranes his ears but after a few more steps towards the gate and the voice is drowned out by the busy streets of Eoste nearby.

When the evening glow settles over the town, Hongjoong and his new friends slash housemates slash persons he would be screwed without share some stories while they eat soup Wooyoung brought from work. Hongjoong still has a lot to process from that eventful day but he literally absorbs every drop of new information he gets. By the time Wooyoung finishs talking about San falling from a tree when he was a kid because he chased a cat up there, Hongjoong’s eyes are droopy and he yawns tiredly. 

Lying in bed that night, he wonders if he’ll wake up back in his time. To be honest, he doubts it so he’s not surprised when he startles awake thanks to Wooyoung throwing himself on him when the sun rose anew. 

“Today, you’re going to help me out.” Wooyoung mumbles into Hongjoong’s borrowed pillow and makes no attempts at getting out of bed. It’s a lazy morning and an unhurried walk to the tavern the other works at. It’s a rather large inn where merchants like to stay at on their journey from one place to the next. The whole atmosphere is cozy, candles everywhere, potted flowers on the windowsills and, of course, Wooyoung’s parents that welcome Hongjoong with open arms. 

The redhead has to dodge some questions and make up more details for his story to satisfy the curiosity of Wooyoung’s parents and his older sister that works there as well, but in the end the questions stop coming when more guests arrive. 

Hongjoong would say he’s a decent cook. He was able to fed himself for years and only eat junk food some days of the week. Now, however, he feels like a child again, watching as Wooyoung’s father explains him how to cut vegetables the right way and how often to stir the soup. After he almost set the bread dough on fire though, he’s banned from the kitchen. Serving isn’t easier, unfortunately. He’s astonished how Wooyoung manages to carry so many plates and mugs at the same time when he himself can barely fit four beer jugs in both hands and struggles to not spill anything. 

When lunchtime is over, Hongjoong finally gets a well-deserved break. Kind of. He still has to wash the dishes and dry them afterwards but at least he’s able to breathe and not run around. His feet are still sore from the day before. 

Family Jung seems to notice the dark circles under Hongjoong’s eyes and takes mercy on him so he’s allowed to stay behind the counter for the rest of the day. He quickly learns that this spot is the best to pick up gossip. He’s not that interested in stories about who tries to woo whom but when a guest starts to mention the royal family, Hongjoong’s ear perk up. 

At the end of the day, Hongjoong’s hands are wrinkled from water, he doesn’t feel his toes anymore and he knows the royal family is loved by their folk. 

His third day in old Adeya leads Hongjoong to the castle once more. Yeosang and he get up when San and Wooyoung are still sound asleep. There’s something about the air early in the morning that feels different. Hongjoong is pleased to notice this hasn’t changed in a millennium. They’re greeted by the knight from two days ago - Jongho, if Hongjoong remembers correctly - and walk straight to the library on the second floor.

Grateful to sit at a desk, Hongjoong looks around curiously while Yeosang sorts papers next to him. He explains Hongjoong how life at the castle works and which tasks fall in his domain. Yeosang is quick to notice that Hongjoong knows a lot about Adeya and the surrounding kingdoms. Fortunately, he believes it’s due to the redhead’s life as a traveller.

Working with Yeosang is calm. Hongjoong searches for certain books someone at the castle wants to read and stacks them in a pile on one of the desks. He sorts already read books and papers book in their rightful place and has still time to skim through them while Yeosang writes. They get a short visit from different servants from time to time but otherwise no one enters the library. The quietness gives Hongjoong finally room to think about this whole situation he found himself in. 

He’s convinced that this is not a dream which leads to a bunch of questions. How did he leap through time? Why is he here? What’s the purpose of all this? He doesn’t find an answer in the books he reads nor does he comes to a logic conclusion himself. 

All he knows is that he could warn the prince, that he could change history with his own hands. But at which consequences?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all have been very patient so far. I promise Seonghwa appears in the next chapter so we get some proper Seongjoong interaction ♡


	6. Midday (3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you! You beautiful person that hasn't given up on this fanfic! I'm talking to you! Thanks for not leaving and I'm so, so sorry for letting you wait such a long time. A lot of stuff happened and looking at ATY made me feel uneasy... Thanks a lot for all those encouraging comments that kept ATY on my mind even as months passed. 
> 
> The next chapter will be up within a week, I promise. I'm back in the right mood for writing, so buckle up, there's angst ahead! But not in this chapter bc you deserve a treat after waiting for so long.
> 
> So, without further ado, let's get Hongjoong to finally meet the prince of his dreams! (Literally haha)

Most of the days, Hongjoong accompanies Yeosang to the castle and helps him rearrange the entire library. They have to look through uncountable books and writings to sort them new. Hongjoong learnt a lot these days and he feels more and more comfortable here even though he misses his old life and the comfort of technology and a hot shower. But he has faith that he’ll return somehow so he tries to learn as much as he can while he’s here. 

Unfortunately, he still hasn’t seen any royal around though he’s heard several servants and court ladies talk about them. Yeosang tells him it’s normal, that they have a lot to discuss because of some negotiations and the possibilities of a marriage of the prince of Adeya to princess Yeri of Malim, the bordering country. 

After a week, Yeosang kicks him out. Hongjoong’s currently balancing on a ladder to put a book back to its place when the other enters the library with he tight lipped smile. He says something about an important discussion the redhead is not allowed to hear so Hongjoong gives in and leaves the room without further ado. He passes a tall knight, one he only saw from the distance before. The knight nods his head in greeting and unceremoniously closes the door in Hongjoong’s face. 

“Strange.” The redhead mumbles but doesn’t dwell on it. He wanders down the corridor yet doesn’t stray from the usual way he always goes with Yeosang -- the shortest route from the entrance to the library. 

“Hey!” Jongho calls out with a big smile when Hongjoong reaches the end of the stairs. It didn’t take long till both warmed up to each other these last days. Hongjoong rates the younger among his friends so he grins at the knight and walks over where he stands next to the front door. “Are you already on your way back home?”

“No, Yeosang wanted to discuss something in the library with some tall knight.” Hongjoong shrugs. It’s way too early to go back to the house, he would be alone there, and he’s not sure if Yeosang needs him later. He shouldn’t leave yet. 

“_‘Discuss.’_” Jongho scoffs and shakes his head. “They won’t take too long. You could take a stroll in the garden?” 

Hongjoong perks up at the suggestion. “Am I allowed to?”

“Sure, go ahead. Just-” He waves his hand around. “Don’t cause a ruckus.”

A quick eye-roll later, Hongjoong walks past the hedge he saw on his first day. Whereas the castle is more or less the same in the future, the garden is completely different. Instead of neatly arranged flower beds, everything kind of grows randomly but not in a chaotic way. No, on the contrary: It’s really beautiful. Hongjoong wanders around aimlessly and watches in awe as two squirrels sprint across the path and climb onto one of the trees. He sits down on a bench near the pond on the backside of the castle, surrounded by violet crocuses. The soft lapping of water and the birds chirping almost lull Hongjoong to sleep. His eyes are trained on the fountain in front of him, his mind clear from any thoughts. 

He notices someone sitting down next to him after a while but he doesn’t look up. There are two ducks waddling to the pond that have his full attention. 

“I could sit here all day. It’s quite peaceful, don’t you think?” The stranger next to him asks after a few more minutes of peaceful silence. 

Hongjoong hums in agreement, too lazy and tired to talk. The ducks splash in the water happily, it kind of looks like they play with each other. 

“You are not one of this kingdom’s people, are you?” The stranger seems set on talking to Hongjoong even though he’s been unresponsive so far. 

Realizing that his behaviour must be rude, Hongjoong finally answers in his words. “I’m a traveller.” Time traveller to be accurate -- but details. Now it’s the stranger’s turn to hum.

That sound…

Hongjoong slowly turns his head and freezes immediately. 

_Those eyes_ \-- The reason why this whole mess started in the first place.

Springing up from his place on the bench next to Seonghwa, he scrambles to bow hastily and say his proper greetings to the future king. The other only looks at him in surprise for a moment before he starts laughing, hiding his smile behind his hand.

“Oh please, it was nice to talk so casually with someone for once.” He gestures for Hongjoong to sit down again. “What leads you here on this beautiful day?”

Hongjoong sits down once more, stiff and uneasy. This situation is so _surreal_. He could deal with all those people he met so far because he didn’t knew them and their destiny. But this time he knows the kind person smiling at him will soon die an unpleasant death.

“So?” Seonghwa prompts and Hongjoong realizes he should probably answer before he makes an even bigger fool out of himself. 

“I work with Yeosang. Like. I help him out. Kind of. There are a lot of books here.” He stutters out, sure that this is not the way to talk to a royal so he adds a quite ‘your highness’ at the end.

“Ah, the library. I haven’t been there in a while. And there’s no need to be that formal when it’s just us” Seonghwa stretches his long legs in front of him and leans casually against the backrest. “I hope Yeo doesn’t give you any trouble.”

“No, of course not!” Hongjoong still sits as straight as a post. Is he allowed to look at the prince? Should he rather watch the ducks or is that rude? Look at the hands folded in his lap? His nails are getting a tad too long, he should as Yeosang for a nail file or something like this. Are nail files even invented yet??

“Are you okay, friend?” 

There’s a careful hand on Hongjoong’s shoulder. It’s so hard to keep calm.

“Yes, of course.” Hongjoong musters the best smile he’s able of -- though he don’t thinks it’s convincing. 

Seonghwa retreats his hand and tilts his head, his gaze wandering up and down Hongjoong’s frame until they meet his eyes again. “I’m thinking of naming one of the ducks Yeosang junior.” 

Hongjoong can’t help but snort so suddenly his throat hurts and he has to cough afterwards. “I don’t think Yeosang senior would be pleased about that.” He grins, the awkwardness broken momentarily.

“One more reason to do so.” Seonghwa smiles back openly, his teeth showing and, damn, Hongjoong is glad he’s sitting or his knees would have given away. “How about the other?”

The name falls from Hongjoong’s lips without thought. “Woosan.” When Seonghwa looks at him in a confused manner, he explains. “Wooyoung, San and Yeosang are always together. Yeosang junior and Woosan.” He points at each duck while he says their names.

“Brilliant.” Seonghwa nods in agreement and turns back to the pond. It’s like Hongjoong is finally able to breathe properly now that those deep brown eyes are not on him anymore. He relaxes a bit and tries not to think too hard about what will happen eventually. There’s nothing wrong about talking to Seonghwa right now. He will not do anything that will alter history. Nope.

“I should bring some egg shells to feed them tomorrow.” Seonghwa muses aloud and it suspiciously sounds like an invitation. The prince glances over, expression open and hopeful.

Before Hongjoong is able to respond, however, Yeosang sneaks up on him from behind and shoves his cold hand under the collar of his shirt. Hongjoong shrieks as he pries those offending fingers away, cursing under his breath. Luckily, neither the prince nor his best friend speak his language so no one can prosecute him because of that. Ha!

Yeosang laughs loudly and Hongjoong can spot Seonghwa chuckle too. Which is, admittedly, not bad. 

But still. “I’m chopping your fingers off tonight.” Hongjoong hisses quietly. Unfortunately, the prince still manages to hear him and bursts into laughter. Yeosang merely rolls his eyes and holds his hands up in defense. Now that Hongjoong takes a proper look at him his friend looks slightly disheveled with his hair tousled and lips swollen. 

“Better keep those fingers safe or Mingi will be sad.” Seonghwa teases, causing the youngest of them to blush slightly. 

“Oh, will you shut up? Come on, Joong, let’s leave this idiot behind and get some food. I’m hungry.” Yeosang grabs the sleeve of Hongjoong’s shirt and pulls him along, not without shooting a glare in the prince’s direction first. 

“Goodbye, Yeosang, the loveliest friend I call my own. Goodbye, Joong.” It’s when Seonghwa shakes his head fondly and turns to face the pond again, that Hongjoong realizes he didn’t even tell the other his name.

♔

That night Hongjoong dreams of colorful petals swaying from the sky like snow. He’s laying on the grass again with his head pillowed on his crossed arms, face up and warmed by the sun. There’s someone laying next to him, however, Hongjoong doesn’t lift his head to look, too afraid this peaceful scenery will shatter if he does. 

The sound of the person humming a calming melody and the lapping of water somewhere close yet far make Hongjoong sleepy.

“Close your eyes, it’s okay.” Seonghwa murmurs, his hand suddenly so close to Hongjoong’s that he can feel the warmth radiating off from the other’s body.

“Don’t go.” Hongjoong’s whisper is carried away by the gentle breeze. He hears Seonghwa’s voice answering but the sound is so faint, it’s impossible to tell what he said. 

Hongjoong closes his eyes regardless.

Warmth on his hand in the last thing he feels before his dream drifts off into nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Important question!**
> 
> Next up is the getting to know phase of our destined pair. Would you like me to describe some scenarios in detail with full conversations and so on or would you prefer a shorter way of showing how they become friends (and slowly more)?
> 
> Please let me know in the comments or participate in my survey on Twitter [(here)!](https://twitter.com/neomuyoo/status/1245739662699872257?s=20)
> 
> Thank you for reading <3


	7. Midday (4)

A few days pass without Hongjoong getting the chance to meet Seonghwa again. He’s holed up in the library behind tons of new scrolls, freshly shipped from the far land of Atlanticé. It’s there where the prince finds him on his third day of organizing and trying to read the foreign language. 

Hongjoong is currently hunched over a text that’s half written in Latin and half written in whatever language those rune like letters are. He’s at a point where he feels so close to finally understand what it’s about without asking Yeosang for help when Seonghwa hums right next to his ear. 

It’s a knee-jerk reaction, something he has no control over -- Hongjoong jumps out of his skin, simultaneously shoves his chair backwards and twists around, his elbow hitting a stack of scrolls that tumble down to the ground with lots of noise in the process.

“Ow!” Seonghwa winces loudly and crouches forward, both hands pressed on his upper thighs - dangerously close to his crotch - where the back of the chair hit him. 

“Seonghwa! I- I mean Your Highness!” Hongjoong’s first reaction is to check where Seonghwa is apparently hurting, though, he’s able to keep his hands to himself. His second reaction is to look around to check if anyone saw him hurling his chair at the prince. 

“Cut those formalities, please.” Seonghwa stubbornly insists, still grimacing in pain. 

“I’m sorry for hurting you.” Biting his bottom lip, Hongjoong pulls the chair upright again and offers it for the other to sit down. 

Seonghwa slumps down ungracefully. “It’s my fault for not making myself known when I entered.” Hongjoong averts his gaze while the prince rubs his thighs in a soothing manner. Instead, he crawls under the table to retrieve the scrolls and papers that have fallen down as well. 

“Feel free to scare me as well when the opportunity arises.” Seonghwa takes the stuff from Hongjoong hands and places it on the table. “Though, be warned. It will be hard to frighten me.” There’s a playful twinkle in his eyes and Hongjoong can’t help but return the smile.

“You better not sleep at night.” 

“Can you stop flirting at work?” Yeosang groans from where he just entered the library. 

“Can you stop meeting up with Mingi at work?” Seonghwa promptly challenges his friend.

They stare at each other with narrowed, unblinking eyes. 

“You know what? I’m taking an early lunch break.” Yeosang smiles that fake smile of his where you know he’s mad but tries not to show it. It looks a bit crazy and Hongjoong would be worried about his well-being if it weren’t for Seonghwa blowing his friend a kiss. Yeosang’s wrath is definitely on the prince.

“Well, that was refreshing.” Seonghwa chuckles once Yeosang not so quietly shut the door behind himself and takes a look over the messy table. “You’ve got a lot to do.” He skims through a few papers while Hongjoong busiest himself with searching for another chair. By the time he finds a stool and returns to his workplace, Seonghwa tidied it up a bit. 

“So…” Hongjoong takes a seat across from the prince and clears his throat. “Have you been searching for something? How can I help you?” Seonghwa must have entered the library in search for a book.

Resting his chin in the palm of his hand, Seonghwa musters Hongjoong for a moment. “Don’t worry, I found it already.” His voice is gently and low, almost too quiet to be heard over the birds chirping outside.

Hongjoong’s skin starts to prickle when Seonghwa doesn’t look away. “Okay.” His knees bob up and down, his fingers tap on the wooden surface of the table and his body grows warmer.

Suddenly, Seonghwa’s calm expression changes, a pleased smile forming on his face. “This stuff is awfully dry.” He points at the scrolls and sighs exaggeratedly. “If you’d enjoy some light reading let me know and I’ll lend you a couple of my favourite books.” He leans back in his chair and yawns, after covering his mouth with one hand of course.

To accept the offer sounds tempting -- he could not only read something without his head hurting from all those political phrasings and complicated words but also get to know Seonghwa a bit better. What kind of books does he prefer? 

Hongjoong smiles. “I’d like to.” 

“Brilliant. I let someone bring them over later.” Seonghwa shifts on his chair so he can cross his legs and lean forward to rest his elbow on the tabletop once more. His head find its place in his hand again, though his gaze is trained on Hongjoong’s fingers. 

“Yeah, that’s coo--” Hongjoong coughs in his elbow to cover up that he almost used a word that’s definitely out of place and time. “Good.” 

Fortunately, the prince didn’t catch the slipup. He’s now looking into Hongjoong’s eyes with that strange - dreamy? content? - expression again which is doing odd things to him.

They sit in silence, apparently an ever recurring theme when they’re together. Seonghwa’s eyes don’t stray from his face the entire time while Hongjoong’s gaze jumps from the prince’s face to his shoulder, to the table, the window in the far back of the library, his own fingers, back at those eyes that seem to stare right into his soul and at last at his hands where it remains.

“Joong?” Oh no, he’s using his low voice again. And his nickname. How to react? Freeze? Jump out of the window? Cry? _Combust?_

“Joong?” Seonghwa tries again but Hongjoong’s mind is still running wild. It’s only when Seonghwa’s hand touches his that Hongjoong’s head snaps up and all thoughts quieten. This is the first time they’re touching skin on skin, he realizes with a start. 

The prince doesn’t retrieve his hand, he looks worried. “Are you feeling alright?” 

Hongjoong nods in a daze. “My name… It’s uhm… It’s Hongjoong.” Great, now he’s stuttering. 

“I know.” Seonghwa smiles as he intertwines their fingers. “Do you have a fever? Your face is growing re-”

“The ducks!” Hongjoong jerks his hand away to cover his cheeks with both hands. “How are the ducks? I wasn’t able to go visit them because Jongho wasn’t on duty these days and I’m not sure if I’m allowed in the gardens on my own.” 

Seonghwa looks startled for a second but recovers fast enough. “Happy as ever. Why don’t we go--”

The prince is interrupted once again, this time, however, by a servant that knocks on the door and enters the library. “Your Highness.” The woman approaches the table but keeps a careful distance. Hongjoong notices that she openly looks at the prince, her eyes not downcast but friendly instead. “Your father, the king, asks for your presence in his study.” 

Seonghwa sighs but smiles gratefully at her. “Thank you.” He turns to Hongjoong and apologizes for the sudden end of their conversation. When he stands up to leave, his face contorts in pain.

Hongjoong quickly rounds the table, unsure if he could lay his hand on the prince’s arm. “Are you still hurting?” He asks in a whisper, mindful of the woman waiting by the door. 

“It’s just a dull ache, don’t worry.” Seonghwa discreetly takes Hongjoong’s hand in his a squeezes lightly and then he’s gone, out of the door and out of view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seonghwa is a flirt and Hongjoong is ready to explode any minute now :D


	8. Midday (5)

“And that’s why I prefer carrots over pears.” San shoves his empty plate across the table and crosses his arms in front of his chest, his eyes narrowing on Yeosang as if to challenge him to disagree.

“Great, but you’re still on cleaning duty this evening.”

“Didn’t you listen??” San jumps up from his stool and braces his hands on the tabletop. He leans forward so that his and Yeosang’s nose almost touch. 

Hongjoong watches with wide eyes as his friends stare at each other. “Uhm, guys…”

“Woo, would you be so kind and help me out for a second?” San huffs, breaking eye contact with Yeosang to look over to the only one who remained quiet so far. Wooyoung absentmindedly stabs the lonely potato on his plate with his fork, obviously not listening to the quarrel. 

“Wooyoung?” San tries to get his attention once more, this time his voice is soft and a tad worried. It’s unlikely for Wooyoung to remain so quiet, especially when there’s bickering going on. 

“Hm?” Their friend finally snaps out of it and blinks at San in confusion.

“Is everything okay?” Yeosang takes the fork from the other’s hand and lays it down next to his plate. The potato looks like sad mush…

Wooyoung looks up slowly, his eyebrows drawn together in thought, and pushes his hair from his forehead. “It’s my sister… She’s sick.”

“Something serious?” San rounds the table and nudges Wooyoung with his hip so he scoots over, almost falling from the stool, before San sits down next to him. 

“She has been vomiting all morning and felt dizzy later on…” Wooyoung lays his head on San’s shoulder, a pout forming on his lips. “She felt just fine before I came here but mom said she should take a break regardless.”

“I’m sure she will feel better soon.” Yeosang assures as he squeezes Wooyoung’s hand in silent support.

Hongjoong feels useless, excluded from that little bubble his three friends are in. He puts his cutlery down with a sigh, his unfinished dinner completely forgotten. “Is there anything we can do?” 

“No, I don’t think--”

“Of course.” Yeosang interrupts Wooyoung immediately. “You can help out at the tavern like before.”

Wooyoung is about to say something but Hongjoong claps his hands with a determined smile. “I’m not going to chop off my fingers, I promise! And I figured that whole serving thing out so there will be no broken plates or jugs!”

Wooyoung grimaces, obviously thinking about a gentle way to reject Hongjoong’s offer.

“It’s better than no help at all?” San whispers rather loudly, causing Wooyoung to look at him with a pained expression and Yeosang to kick them both under the table.

Hongjoong bobs up and down on his stool, eager to help and learn new things in the process. It’s a win-win situation this way -- as long as he manages to not stab himself while cooking. 

“Come with me tomorrow and we’ll ask my parents.” Wooyoung gives in with a sigh. “And thanks, Joong.”

♔

Hongjoong’s entire body feels restless. His fingers move constantly, threading through the grass and pulling out a few glades. He should get up from the ground, do something -- What should he do? The strong urge to finally take a breath and open his eyes is only overpowered by a weight that lays itself on his body like a blanket. His knees tingle, his lips tremble. 

It’s quiet, not even the sound of his own heart can be hear in the silence. The air is filled with anticipation, a sense of fidgety making the atmosphere tense.

The breath of a voice sounds somewhere far. Hongjoong can’t decipher what is said, can’t even tell if it’s a woman or man speaking. Maybe it’s neither. Maybe it’s both. Maybe it’s something in between. 

Moments pass in which Hongjoong is vibrating with restrained energy yet unable to move more than a few millimeters. A breeze picks up and tickles his nose playfully. With the gentle wind comes calmness. Hongjoong relaxes, his body going still and slack, though his eyes are still forced closed. 

The whisper is still incredibly quiet even though it feels like its breath is a delicate touch on his skin. The anticipation surrounding him is no longer tense, Hongjoong didn’t notice the shift in the air but he feels it now that he’s no longer fighting against the weight on his body. 

Excitement, that’s what runs through his veins now. 

Hongjoong smiles and takes a breath for the first time that night.

_”One step closer.”_

♔

Observing Wooyoung from his spot behind the counter, Hongjoong wonders if his friend is a good dancer. The thought popped up suddenly when Hongjoong saw him actually gliding through the busy tavern, packed with several full plates and even fuller jugs. He moves with a sense of gracefulness and confidence Hongjoong knows from his friend from school-- university. What was her name again? Hongjoong shakes his head, his mind completely blank for a moment. Soyeon. Of course! Soyeon! _How could he forget?_

“Three more jugs of mead.” Wooyoung’s rushed voice snaps Hongjoong out of his thoughts. He nods and turns to prepare the drinks and then fill some bowls with stew for a group of merchants that just entered the tavern and shouted their order to him. 

A new rush of guests comes in as soon as Hongjoong hands Wooyoung the last bowl so there’s no time time dwell on the fact that he forgot that this is not his life. This is not where he’s supposed to be. 

The strange knot in his stomach remains until it’s almost time to close up.

At the end of the day, Hongjoong barely avoided breaking three plates. How he almost managed to slice into Mr Jung’s thumb while the elder was teaching him the proper way to cut meat in a quiet minute is still beyond him. Nevertheless, Mrs Jung regards him with a pleased smile that makes Hongjoong proud of himself and bids him goodbye. Apparently, Wooyoung’s sister is feeling better, though she was nauseous in the morning once more. 

“She will be absent for a few more days.” Wooyoung sighs as he props his elbows on the counter. He looks as tired as Hongjoong feels. “Do you mind helping for a bit longer?”

“I got yelled at because I confused an order.” Hongjoong groans. “Some drunk guy spilled mead on me and that old woman that sat in the corner all day long stared at me like I’m the evil incarnate.”

Wooyoung yawns and Hongjoong is able to see all the way to the back of his throat. 

Hongjoong sighs. “I don’t mind helping for a bit longer.”

“That’s fortunate because Woo already told me you’ll be here for a few more days earlier.” San appears out of thin air on Hongjoong’s right, scaring him to death.

“You sneaky--” Hongjoong swats his laughing friend while he still tries to calm his heart from this surprise. He then turns to Wooyoung with one eyebrow raised, silently prompting his friend to explain.

Wooyoung, however, just shrugs. 

“Oh, I’ve got something for you!” San snatches Hongjoong’s attention again. He has a bowl with leftover stew in one hand and an envelope in the other which he lays on the counter with a wink. 

Hongjoong is about to ask who wrote him a letter but San already went to one of the tables in the back with Wooyoung. With a start, Hongjoong sees the royal seal on the back of the envelope. He breaks it with slightly shaking fingers, his thoughts all over the place. Perhaps it’s just from Yeosang who wants to tell him about the recent gossip. No, he would do that at home. Maybe it’s the king officially resigning him and banishing him from the castle grounds. 

He pulls out the sheet of parchment and scans it quickly. “No way…” He gasps and looks around to make sure no one watches him. His friends are engrossed in a conversation, Wooyoung’s parents are upstairs and the last customer left already. 

After taking a deep breath, Hongjoong reads the letter properly.

_’Dear Joong,’_

Hongjoong stops after those two words and closes his eyes, a small smile on his lips. Seeing his name written in such neat and elegant letters, the way Seonghwa refuses to use his full name… Hongjoong sighs contently and continues reading. 

_’I apologize for my sudden leaving yesterday. Yeosang said your help is needed elsewhere, explaining your absence today and most likely the following days as well. Hopefully, you will be pleased to hear that Woosan and Yeosang Junior are well and playful. They come closer now that I bring them treats. I’ll prepare more for the day you’ll return to the castle._

_I hope you don’t mind my unannounced letter._

_Yours,_

_Seonghwa_

To say Hongjoong is endeared would be an understatement. This is the first letter he received - bills and mail from his university obviously don’t count. No, this… this is something special.

“A love letter?” 

Hongjoong jumps in fright and clutches the letter against his chest. “San! Stop scaring me!”

The other rolls his eyes and smirks. “So?"

“Don’t tease him.” Wooyoung pulls on San’s ear to shut him up.

♔

_’Dear Seonghwa, Your Highness and caretaker of the royal ducks,_

_of course I don’t mind your letter. On the contrary, it was a pleasant surprise after a long day of work. Thank you for the books. Yeosang dutifully gave them to me, though he demands compensation for his trouble of playing delivery boy so be prepared tomorrow. _

_Regards,_

_Hongjoong’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing letters is a really nice thing to do btw! Try writing one to a friend and I bet you'll make them happy <3


	9. Midday (6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's me - the person who only needed five months to upload the second to last chapter of this fanfic :D
> 
> ♔

Days pass in an unagitated manner; work at the tavern is not as stressful once Hongjoong gets the knack of cooking simple dishes. He feels more and more confident and even chats with all kinds of travellers and guests when he’s on break or beverage duty. Nothing can ruin his good mood these days. 

The sun is already low on the sky when Hongjoong folds Seonghwa’s latest letter, puts it into the envelope again and proceeds to reach under his bed to store it away with the other ones he got these last three weeks. He chews on his bottom lip, Seonghwa’s words replaying in his head. _”My days are dull without your smile.”_ About ten days earlier, Seonghwa grew bolder with his letters, openly flirting with him. At first, Hongjoong was unsure, didn’t know if the other is serious or if he’s just friendly in a playful way. He replied hesitantly, carefully choosing the words. Turns out, he didn’t have to worry at all.

“If you grin any wider, I fear you’ll tear the corners of your mouth.” Yeosang teases as he plops down on the bed next to Hongjoong. 

“Oh shut up!”

Uncaring of Hongjoong’s attempts to shove him off the bed, Yeosang rolls so he’s laying on his friend. “Seonghwa is so annoying. I can’t wait for you to come back so he bothers you and not me.” 

“Just one more day.” Hongjoong sighs. He glances over when the door bangs against the wall and Wooyoung enters with a big yawn, followed by San who’s walking with his eyes closed.

“Isn’t it great that your sister is finally well again?” Yeosang stretches, hitting Hongjoong’s face in the process.

“Yeah. I wonder what she had though…” 

“She was nauseous in the mornings, had mood swings and ate strange things - still does if I think about it.” Hongjoong lists aloud. “She sits beside the window all day long and looks at every single person entering the tavern as if she searches for someone. I have no clue what’s up with her.” His voice is dripping with irony at the end, though Wooyoung doesn’t seem to notice. He hums in agreement and pulls his covers up to his chin. 

Hongjoong figured she got pregnant a week after he started working with the Jungs. He talked to her about it one evening when he wiped down the counter while the rest of the family was busy in the kitchen. Hopefully her lover will return soon… 

“I’m sleeping here tonight.” Yeosang goes limp, pressing his friend into the mattress. 

Hongjoong rolls his eyes but doesn’t fight. The weight is comforting, it reminds him of his dreams. He didn’t have a single unsettling one for over 21 days now. He looks forward to falling asleep, already anticipating the warm air and relaxing daze.

♔

“You’re back.” Seonghwa states the obvious when he notices Hongjoong waiting at their spot in the gardens. 

“And you’re late.” Hongjoong sticks his tongue out and scoots over so Seonghwa can sit down next to him. “My break is almost over.”

With a pout adorning Seonghwa’s handsome face, the older male turns to the redhead. “Why did nobody tell me you’re here?”

“Because you had important work.”

“But still.” The prince’s whine is adorable. Too adorable. Hongjoong quickly shoves Seonghwa to the side before he can do something he could regret. Like kissing Seonghwa. That would be insane, right?

And just like that they pick up where they left last time, playful banter and quiet whispers. 

Days like these make Hongjoong forget that he doesn’t belong here.

♔

He’s painfully reminded of that fact when the day of Seonghwa’s coronation is just around the corner. 

The night before, he woke up from a dreamless sleep. There was just… Nothing. Nothing but blackness and silence. Despite not feeling anything at all - no fear, no pending hurt - he woke up with a sense of dread. 

He couldn’t place that feeling at first. His dreams were filled with warmth, happiness and love for so long that he forgot what his presence here was all about. Now as the night that will seal Seonghwa’s fate dawns, Hongjoong finally remembers. How could he forget?

Seonghwa looked so happy, almost giddy like a child the night before Christmas, as he accompanied Hongjoong from the library to the entrance hall where they parted ways earlier. 

_”Tomorrow, I will be king. And I already know the first thing I’ll announce.”_ He said with a wink and squeezed Hongjoong’s hands as if trying to make the other understand a hidden message.

Sitting at the window hill, Hongjoong doesn’t dare to think about the meaning of Seonghwa’s smile towards him. Not now. Not when Seonghwa is about to be--

He takes a deep breath and wills the tears away. 

There is nothing he can do… He shouldn’t mess with the past more than he’s already done… The consequences of his actions could be severe and he is just a mortal being, trapped in a time where he shouldn’t be. 

The last rays of sun disappear behind the houses of Eoste. Hongjoong wonders what he will do once this night is over. 

_Click!_

Hongjoong jerks away from the window with a silent gasp. Was that… a pebble?

He quickly opens the window and looks outside to see none other than Seonghwa grinning up at him.

“Come down, I want to show you something!” He whisper-shouts and waves his hands as an encouragement. 

He shouldn’t. Now that he remembers, he shouldn’t go. Promising that he will not stay out for a long time, Hongjoong quietly leaves the house so as to not raise his friend’s attention. 

“What are you doing here?” 

Seonghwa shrugs and completely ignores Hongjoong’s surprised expression. Instead, he takes the younger male by his hand and leads him through alleyways Hongjoong didn’t notice before. It’s not until they sneak through a hole in a fence that Hongjoong realizes where Seonghwa brought him -- the Big Gardens. The place Yeosang found him so many days ago. The place where--

“We’re almost there.” Seonghwa interrupts Hongjoong’s thoughts. They follow a small path until they reach an all too familiar spot. Seonghwa sits down on the grass without any care and patiently waits for his friend to lower himself as well. 

“I often sneak out of my room to come here.” Seonghwa whispers even though there’s not a single soul nearby. It’s like any noise louder then the rustling of the wind would break the magic of twilight. “Nobody knows.”

Seonghwa leans back on his forearms and looks at the sky. Hongjoong sits frozen in his spot. 

“I don’t know why but there is something special about this place, something that makes me come back again and again. It’s like…” Hongjoong hears the other take in a deep breath before he exhales slowly. “Magic.” He giggles and finally turns to Hongjoong. “I never feel that sensation anywhere else.”

The redhead shivers slightly as he turns to meet Seonghwa’s eyes. They sparkle like the stars above them. “Except when I’m near you.”

Hongjoong stills. He should go, he should run, he should… 

Seonghwa sits upright and leans closer, his hands gently taking Hongjoong’s in a soft hold. “You’re like magic itself. You’re the warmth of sunshine that brightens my day with just a hint of your lovely smile. You’re the comfort of night that brings me the most beautiful dreams. You’re the stars guiding me safely home in the dark. You’re the melody I hear when birds sing a lullaby.”

He doesn’t know who closes the distance between them. What he knows, however, is that Seonghwa’s lips are incredibly soft against his own. Hongjoong lets go of all thoughts - he’s unable to formulate even a single coherent thought - as he closes his eyes and slings his arms around Seonghwa’s neck. He feels the warm touch of Seonghwa’s right hand caressing his face, feels the prince’s hot breath ghosting over his lips when they both are forced to take a breath, feels a tongue carefully parting his swollen lips and deepening the kiss.

It’s a haze of warmth and love Hongjoong completely gets lost in. There are touches all over his body, gentle but firm, sure yet unsure in their exploration of the skin underneath them. Hongjoong himself reaches his hands wherever he can, strokes Seonghwa’s back, his bare stomach, his thighs. He threads his fingers in Seonghwa’s hair when the other seals their bodies together, so close there is no air between them anymore.

♔

Night ends when the birds wake up, striking up a song in the wee hours. They haven’t slept at all, though at one point of the night they managed to put their clothes back on. Hongjoong lays in Seonghwa’s arms. The tunic of the taller male covers his fingers as he absentmindedly traces random patterns on the other’s bare chest. His mind is rid of any thoughts. He knows there’s something… A voice screaming at the far back of his consciousness… It’s only the echo of an echo so he doesn’t understand a thing. Frankly, he’s way too content to try to listen properly. 

“Look.” Seonghwa murmurs into Hongjoong’s ear as he points toward the trees where the first sun rays of the day break through. “Sunrise.”

_Aurora._

They admire the beautiful play of colors that gradually take over the fading blue of the night. 

“Joong, there is something I want to tell you.” Seonghwa carefully sits up. He supports Hongjoong who winces at the soreness caused by their nightly activities. 

His heart beats fast. He knows what Seonghwa is going to say. And he knows he will respond with a kiss.

“Hongjoong, I am in lo--”

The blink of an eye, that’s all it takes for Hongjoong’s gaze to drift from Seonghwa’s moving lips to the shadow appearing out of thin air behind the prince.

In that blink of an eye, in that split life-changing second, Hongjoong pushes Seonghwa to the side. 

There is a stabbing pain in his chest, a pain so sudden and forceful that causes bursts of fireworks to appear in his vision. He cries out but no sound leaves his mouth. The noise of a fight gets overtaken by white buzzing noise. He sees Seonghwa unarm a hooded person. He sees Seonghwa shout for help once he knocked the assassin out with a precise hit to his neck. He sees Seonghwa crouch over him with eyes full of worry.

He sees Seonghwa live past the moment his life was supposed to be taken away.

_He changed history._

It’s the last thought that manages to cut through the pressure in his mind. The last thought before everything fades to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, oh... What will happen now... Did Hongjoong exchange his life for Seonghwa's? Will he wake up in the medical quarters of the castle? Let me know your presumptions!


	10. Evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy the last chapter <3

The stars shine brightly, though they don’t illuminate the clearing that’s covered in thick wafts of mist. Hongjoong lays on the grass like he’s one with the ground underneath him. He stares up at the night sky with unfocused eyes and an empty mind, feeling like the hollow shell of what he’s supposed to be. Whatever that is. He doesn’t know, he can’t think. 

“Please, wake up…” A voice cuts through the fog, the sound of it distorted.

Hongjoong closes his eyes.

“Don’t leave me, please…” Ah, there it is again. The voice sounds sad. 

There’s a tingling feeling in his fingertips. It spreads slowly from his hand to his arm and further until he can feel it in every cell of his being.

“Hongjoong…” 

He shivers violently as the pleasant tingle becomes forceful and wrecks his body in waves. It’s torture. He’s glad his eyes are closed otherwise he’s sure he would see his body being torn apart only to be put together again.

“Dear…”

As sudden as the pain came it starts to fade away… 

Soon enough, Hongjoong lays still again.

_“I love you.”_

He opens his eyes. 

♔

Hongjoong wakes up to a pigeon picking his hand. He blinks at the bird which tilts its head before strutting away. Yeah, that wasn’t strange at all.

With a groan, Hongjoong sits up. He feels like he put his body through an intense workout. Trying to relieve the muscle aches, he sits up and stretches, only to flinch when the movement causes his chest to hurt with a stabbing pain. He looks down at his body but all he can see are the clothes he put on that morning and grass stains on his pants. After a quick scan of his surroundings, Hongjoong realises he’s in the middle of a graveyard. Perfect spot to sleep. He rolls his eyes at himself and stands up carefully. 

“Why’s my head spinning like crazy?” He mumbles as he stumbles a few steps forward. He can’t remember drinking last night but that doesn’t say anything seeing as he can’t remember _anything_ after that tour through the castle. Why was he there anyway? He should be back home and studying instead of going on a random vacation to wherever he is. Finally, he lifts his eyes and takes a proper look around. His eyes fall on a crypt a few meters away. It looks lonely, separated from other gravesites and located in the shade of a nearby tree. 

He doesn’t realize he walked over to the crypt until his hand touches the plate on one of its walls. 

“Seonghwa, our beloved king of Adeya.” The words leave his mouth in a whisper. Seonghwa… That name feels... familiar. 

Seonghwa… Seonghwa… Of course! The prince from his architecture class! With wide eyes, Hongjoong reads over the plate again and again. 

_“Hongjoong, I am in lo--”_

It’s like a thousand memories come rushing back to his mind all at once. The garden, Yeosang, the library, the ducks, _the prince_... 

He takes a few shaky steps backwards, away from the crypt. That… That was a dream, right? Just his imagination that ran wild because he got fixated on the topic… But it felt so real... There’s only one way to find out…

Without wasting more time, Hongjoong walks out of the graveyard and straight to the library. He doesn’t have to search for the right shelf, he was there yesterday. Or… a few months - years? - ago… After quickly pulling out the same book he read before, Hongjoong skips through the pages until he reaches the chapter he’s looking for.

After reading the first sentences it becomes apparent that this is definitely not the same text like before… 

The prince survived the attack of an assassin that threatened his life on the early morning of his coronation day. He became king. 

The text goes on about his achievements and the love of the nation he received through the entire length of his reign. He never married, states the next chapter, so he didn’t have a child of his own he could make his successor. Instead, he did something surprising. He made the adopted child of his advisor and a knight to the crown prince and trained him himself. 

Hongjoong lowers the book with shaking hands as he sees the scan of a diary entry after turning the page.

It’s Yeosang’s writing. He recognizes it immediately after spending so many days working with his friend. He takes a deep breath and forces himself to read it. 

_“The king’s smile was lost in a tragic accident on that fateful day.”_ The sentence is highlighted along with a few others. _”We all lost something dear all those years ago. We never stopped searching.”_

It was the last entry in Yeosang’s diary, written shortly before he peacefully died due to his old age - long after Seonghwa fell asleep and never woke up. 

Tears stream down Hongjoong’s face as he closes the book. This is impossible… Neither his name nor a single sentence hinting at his existence were written anywhere but still… It feels like that dream was real. Or is his mind just messing with him in a cruel way?

He doesn’t have an answer. 

Seonghwa was buried with carnations and Hongjoong likes to think that means anything. 

♔

The beginning of the new semester doesn’t wait for anyone so Hongjoong has no choice but get out of bed and drag himself into the bathroom. These last weeks are a blur of exhaustion and headaches. Ever since he came back from Adeya he doesn’t feel like himself anymore. The uncertainty of what actually happened - or not for that matter - didn’t let him sleep. When his body demanded rest eventually, he fell into the pitch blackness of dreamless slumber. 

Staring into the mirror that morning, tired eyes with dark circles underneath look back at him. Soyeon will ask loads of questions and there’s no way around facing her. She left a few text messages over the span of the last few weeks, telling him to rest and call her back when he’s ready.

He still isn’t but he has to function regardless. 

With his eyes downcast, Hongjoong leaves his dorm room and walks across campus. He knows the way by heart so there’s no need to actually pay attention. Plus, he has to save whatever energy he has to survive the lectures.

He didn’t take the other students into account. 

“Woah there!” A surprised voice calls out as Hongjoong runs straight into something solid, sending him and the other person straight to the ground. 

Wincing at the pain that shoots through his wrist, Hongjoong quickly stands up and is about to apologize when his eyes fall on the young man he just ran straight into. He looks like… 

“Wow, the first day in foreign country and I get a bruise already.” The stranger laughs as he stands up and dusts off his pants. 

“I’m so sorry!” Hongjoong finally finds his words. “I didn’t pay attention.”

The other smiles wide. “Well, I think you have to make it up to me then. Because it was your fault.” He winks and Hongjoong stares.

The person resembles someone he lost so long ago… This can’t be true...

“Great.” The young man’s eyes crinkle as he seems to take Hongjoong’s shocked face as an answer. “Meet me at the coffee shop at 10?” He pulls out his cellphone and swipes at the screen. “Give me your number so we won’t miss each other.”

Hongjoong feels like in trance when he recites his phone number and watches the other type it into his device carefully. 

“Don’t you have to hurry? Your lecture will start in a few minutes, right?” 

A quick glance to his watch lets Hongjoong curse. He’s in for a stern scolding… But he doesn’t want to go… He doesn’t want to leave the stranger just yet… _He can’t._ The mere thought of walking away lets panic arise. 

“Hey, it’s okay, Joong.” The other ruffles Hongjoong’s hair fondly. “Go get your education. I’ll be there when you come back, I promise.” He takes Hongjoong by his shoulders, turns him around and gently shoves him in the direction of the lecture hall. 

“What’s an hour compared to a thousand years anyway?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S DONE!
> 
> More or less-- The observant reader surely saw I didn't mark this fanfic as finished. That is because I wrote an epilog that will be updated on Sunday (exactly one year after I uploaded the first chapter omg I'll surely be emotional in the notes then)
> 
> Please let me know which part you liked most! My personal favorite is Yeosang texting Seonghwa haha


	11. Epilog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe it's over... 
> 
> Thank you for reading till here and special thanks to everyone who sticked around even when I took months to update. Your comments made me stick to this fanfic and I'm glad I did! 
> 
> Please read the end note for a little surprise ❤
> 
> Enjoy~

What he’s about to say is something that is on the tip of his tongue for some time now. He thought about saying it casually when they were alone in the library. Or just give in to the urge and burst it out as soon as he sees his friend. 

However, it didn’t feel right to do so just yet.

But now as he’s laying in the grass with Hongjoong’s warm body closely pressed to his side, Seonghwa knows the time has come. 

Hongjoong blinks at him with content eyes as Seonghwa pulls him up to a sitting position. He’s so cute. Looking at the smaller male, all of the love Seonghwa feels for him fills his body with warmth. Ever since Hongjoong appeared, he finally found meaning to his life other than protecting and serving his people as soon-to-be king. 

Telling Hongjoong what he means to him is as easy as breathing. He’s about to say it - finally say it! - when the fond expression on Hongjoong’s face turns into pure horror and he’s pushed to the side.

He watches Hongjoong being stabbed in the chest by a dark shadow. 

The attacker is unarmed within seconds. The person doesn’t put up a fight and lets themselves be tied with Seonghwa’s belt with no resistance at all. Seonghwa yells for help as loud as he can as he finally rushes to Hongjoong’s side.

There is so much blood. 

Hongjoong’s eyes lose their light with every frantic beat of Seonghwa’s heart. He fades. First, Seonghwa thinks it’s just the tears in his eyes that make his vision blurry but when he blinks them away, he can only see a ghost of Hongjoong’s body limbly laying in front of him. He blinks once more and Hongjoong is nowhere to be seen anymore.

Gone with the wind, without a single trace of his existence. 

When Jongho and Mingi arrive, the only indication of what happened is the dagger thrown aside and the belt that was unable to hold the shadow.

♔

Seonghwa is crowned. 

He feels hollow.

♔

Yeosang muses Hongjoong’s appearance in their life had the purpose to save Seonghwa on that day.

“He was sent by the Goddess of Dawn and now she took her child back.” He says in an attempt to comfort his friend. 

It doesn’t work.

♔

It gets easier to live with his heart torn into pieces as the years pass. 

Yeosang’s and Mingi’s child takes over the crown when Seonghwa’s hair is grey. The boy grew up into a strong and kind-hearted man that feeds the ducks when Seonghwa is too weak to go outside anymore.

♔

It’s a sunny day. Yeosang is by his side as Seonghwa sits on the bench where he first saw the love of his life. It was hard to go there. His body doesn’t cooperate anymore, he’s too old. But he wanted to come back there for one last time so with the help of his friend they made it work. When he looks to his side, he looks right through Yeosang. Instead of his friend watching him with confused eyes, he sees a young male with red hair and a bright smile. He doesn’t hear Yeosang asking if he’s alright. He hears a laugh that brings back happy memories of a time that’s so painful to remember. He feels Hongjoong’s touch when he slumps down. He smells that warm scent with the last breath he takes.

♔

A silhouette in the moonlight.

A whisper.

_One step closer._

♔

He experienced something like love in some lifetimes. It was never fulfilling. Deep down, it didn’t feel right.

♔

Seonghwa can’t shake the feeling off him that something… _someone_ is missing. A person he doesn’t know, yet someone who is too familiar to be a stranger - the young man he sees in his dreams, the one who’s always slipping through his grasp when he’s about to take his hand. 

There’s always a point in his life when bits of memories come back, when he remembers the joy of being with the one destined for him and the pain of losing that person. 

When he reaches that point again, he’s in his twenties. In this lifetime he is no prince. He is also not a travelling merchant nor a knight. He is no farmer and no salesman. This time around he was born as the only child of two loving people he’s glad to call his parents. 

One morning, Seonghwa wakes up from yet another dream where he couldn’t reach that person at the other side of the clearing. The person that faded into stars… Unlike other mornings, however, there is a strong pull in his chest, an unknown force that drives him out of the house and across the city with hurried steps. 

He’s close, he can feel it. 

When he sees the fence of the old graveyard come into few, Seonghwa starts running the remaining distance. He doesn’t need to look around - his mind knows where to go.

However, when he finally reaches the crypt at the very back, he’s all alone. He can’t let go of the dread that fills him with the knowledge that whoever he was looking for already left. 

Within days it gets so bad that he can stand living in Eoste anymore. His parents don’t ask. They help him switch universities and move to a foreign country. 

It feels like the right thing to do and they know it when they wave him goodbye at the airport. Seonghwa smiles and promises to come visit them on Christmas. They tell him to bring his partner along.

♔

_”u so dumb lol”_

Seonghwa sighs when he reads Yeosang’s text. He messaged his friend back home in hope of some sympathy but instead he gets that response. He got lost on campus on his first day and he’s actually too shy to ask a random passing student for help.

He frowns at his phone as he writes back.

_”go fuc”_\--

Before he’s able to finish his very mature reply, a body is crashing into him and he falls to the ground. Great. Not only did he get lost, now he also hurts from being shoved to the hard ground. Perfect day. 

The annoyance is short lived though. As soon as he takes a look at the male who just sprang to his feet, Seonghwa’s mind clears. 

This is him.

He knows.

His heart races as he takes in the wide eyes of the person in front of him.

The stranger - no it’s not a stranger. _Hongjoong._

He waited for so long…

“Wow, the first day in foreign country and I get a bruise already.” He doesn’t know why he’s joking when all he wants to do is wrap his arms around the person he chased in his dreams for so long. The person he couldn’t forget even after a millenium. 

When Hongjoong finally rushes to his lecture after Seonghwa pushed him in the right direction he is certain they won’t be parted again. How does he know where Hongjoong has to go? Seonghwa doesn’t, he just had a feeling and doesn’t question anything because - to say it with Yeosang’s words - yolo.

♔

“Cold…” Hongjoong grumbles sleepily. He pulls the covers up to his chin and frowns at Seonghwa who’s standing in the doorway. He had to use the toilet and did his best to sneak out of bed without disturbing the sleeping redhead. 

“Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you.” He’s quick to join his boyfriend back on bed and crawl under the blanket. Hongjoong wraps his arm around him immediately and breathes a quiet “better” with a smile. He falls asleep again within seconds. 

Seonghwa watches Hongjoong for some time while he gently strokes the other’s back. They don’t have any plans for the morning and it’s still some time until Seonghwa’s friends arrive and they have to pick them up at the airport. 

Burying his face in Hongjoong’s soft hair, Seonghwa whispers words of love. 

_”I have loved you for a thousand years… I will love you for a thousand more.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, okay, before I get emotional... SURPRISE GIVEAWAY! 
> 
> I decided to randomly choose one reader and write a fanfic for that person. You find more information in the following google form: [Click here!](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScvHrmQixwxqChnNZzyjnvlSao-LADscYsLuX0I9znYu3HyZw/viewform)
> 
> -
> 
> Thanks again for everyone who took their time and read this fanfic until the end, for everyone who gave kudos and/ or commented. Your support made me smile a lot and motivated me more than once! 
> 
> If you still have questions about the plot because I didn't elaborate on some aspects or you're confused, feel free to write me those questions and I'll do my best to explain! 
> 
> See you! 💕


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